Preacher Siti Nor Bahyah Mahamood had said in a television programme on TV9 more than a year ago that “vices, going to discos and couples meeting in private are Christian traditions.”
“Both Media Prima and Siti Bahyah should immediately apologise for offending the sensitivities of the Christian community,” said MCA deputy publicity chief Loh Seng Kok in a statement today.
“Such remarks are not only offensive and derogatory against all Christians, but it smacks of an individual wielding an air of religious superiority and using the opportunity of being on air to broadcast Christian-bashing,” he added.
Siti Nor Bahyah also called Valentine’s Day a Christian festival, claiming it started as a celebration to commemorate the fall of the Islamic administration in Spain.
The recording of the show has since been uploaded on video-sharing site YouTube and viewed by close to 100,000 visitors.
The Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) Youth wing earlier today demanded an apology from Siti Nor Bahyah, calling her remarks “derogatory and irresponsible.”
CCM also said Valentine’s Day is not a Christian event, but a secular celebration.
Valentine’s Day is a global annual celebration of love on February 14 that is rooted in St Valentine, an early Christian martyr who was likely associated with romance only in the 14th century, according to historical records.
Loh denounced Siti Nor Bahyah’s comments as “hopelessly baseless” and prejudiced.
“To liken the the Christian community as disco-goers (and) allude that Christian couples engage in questionable activities in the private domain reeks of religious labelling no different from how Caucasian Afrikaners drafted laws against native Africans in apartheid South Africa, as the former viewed the latter as inferior,” said Loh.
The MCA central committee member further demanded that Media Prima publicly disassociate itself from Siti Nor Bahyah’s remarks and avoid airing her until she issued an apology.
“Media Prima also must not permit any individual from using any of its channels to launch broadsides against any other person’s faith, and if necessary, to check the contents of the guest speaker’s speech,” said Loh.
The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) said yesterday it will launch an anti-Valentine’s Day campaign, quoting a fatwa issued by the National Fatwa Council in 2005 which called it an immoral Christian celebration.
Both the city Islamic Department (Jawi) and the Selangor Islamic Department (Jais) also banned Muslims today from celebrating the festival next Monday.
PAS Youth has similarly opposed Valentine’s Day, claiming that it was steeped in immorality.
Loh, however, supported CCM’s views and pointed out that Valentine’s Day is a commercial event.
“Valentine’s Day is a commercialised occasion no different from Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Teacher’s Day,” said Loh.
“Unlike Good Friday, Easter and Christmas, Valentine’s Day is not an occasion commemorated in the Christian calendar by Christians,” he added.
Loh also called on the police to investigate Siti Nor Bahyah for sedition if necessary. - Malaysian Insider
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